HELP: Show Jumping training?

Question

I ride 7yr WBx 17.3hh (huge/strong)

Very capable rider.

Snaffle bit (dutch gag sj comps not willing 2change this 2daily)

Jst got new saddle -fitted pro

He use 2b VERY fast/strong on flatwork- i can now get him going slower,rhythm & listening.

Great sj- goes ova anything 110cm+

I get a great approach sj/xc (slow,steady & controlled) but he loses it on the landing & i don't have enough time 2 gather/get full control between sj jumps as his stride is so big n strong (hes excited). i tried 2 keep him together but he uses his pwr/momentum over the jump 2go faster. dont really know what 2do whilst half over jump n i didn't want 2 experiment n muck him up.

Tried training jst smaller jumps but same story.

I use below aids/exercises 2slow him dwn -does any1 hav any extra ideas/activities.

Half halts b4 jump n after

Slow seat down & think slow - relax

Lateral work 2 get him thinking/listening

Grids (have a few not really working -want 2 hear what u guys come up wid)

I change activity/direction regulary

Have short (but giving hands)

Reward when he listens

ps: Im not over doing sj -only 5% a week if that because still schooling him on flatwork still

i am looking at getting a sj/xc lesson soon but just wanted some ideas in the mean time, and want to hear your interesting answers?

thanks all help appreciated.

Answer 1

cece above had a good answer. It was exactly what I was going to say! I did that just a couple days ago with a strong ex-race horse. By the end of the ride he was much much better, and he remembered during the next ride as well. Jumping nicely with a controlled take off and landing. Good luck!

Answer 2

In theory - everything you are doing 'sounds right' but it is hard to tell you what you need to work on when we can't see it for ourselves . I recommend you get a showjumping lesson in the near future , and your instructor will be able to analyse what is happening and help you on the spot .

Answer 3

Hey I might be able to help here. My daughter was doing the exact same thing on her pony and just had lessons to sort it out. Here is what the instructor did with her....

First jump was dismantled to three poles on the ground - scattered so horse had to think. After they trotted and cantered through this they had to halt within three strides.

This wasn't so bad.... looked quite nice

Next they went over those poles, then one jump and had to halt within three strides - they just managed this.....

Next poles and two jumps - now we were into trouble and the pony was taking off. Well they instructor said she just had to stop within three strides - no questions asked. Looked very messy, horse fair jabbed in the mouth!

But by the time they went over the third time, he just stopped nicely.

The instructor then built up a course of 4 jumps, then 5, etc right through till we had ten jumps. Each time she went through the course 3 times and at the last jump each time the horse had to halt within 3 strides. And I'm talking HAD TO - not matter how ugly it looked.

Well within 3 days of doing this the pony was transformed!

Two days later and we tried at home, now this is where he has been worst - close to bolting at times.

At the course all the halts had become nice - no ugly halts by the last day.

At home we had two ugly halts before the pony realised that it was the same drill as at sj course. And we've jumped a handfull of times since and the pony is just completely transformed.

We used the same pattern of poles, and then 1 jump building up to a full course of 10 jumps -  just the same as the sj course.

Hope this helps.

ps. we had done the half halt thing at home previously and had some luck, but like you still rushing between jumps unless we had plenty of time to get control. When we were out my daughter found all the courses to tight to get control in between - sound familiar?

VERY BEST OF LUCK :) Keep safe.